Crosswords
by Old stuff of Mine
Summary: A series of drabbles, each being prompted by one word from a crossword puzzle. Jibbs.
1. 1 Across

**A/N** So I was doing a crossword the other day and I thought 'hey, if people do series of drabbles based on songs on shuffle, why not based on each word of a crossword?' And then this endeavor was born. Comments would be greatly appreciated though if you would like to flame me, my only wish is that it would be well constructed and intelligent.

**1-Across** Flag

At her funeral, there was no flag. To him, a Marine, the flag-covered casket was the ultimate symbol of a sacrifice for one's country. Jenny didn't have that. He didn't know who would have received it, but he knew that it wouldn't have been him. He could have been that singled out loved one, if he had known, would he have been? That hypothetical flag bore the burden of his sorrows, a picture drawn in stars and stripes of what he could have had. But he knew what his Jen had died for – in his heart she had a flag.


	2. 2 Down

**A/N Here we are again! 100 words exactly folks. Reviews are always appreciated.**** Also: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from said work.**

**2-Down** Lab

Jen loved Abby's lab. Everywhere else she was Director Shepard, to be obeyed and respected. In the lab, she was just Mommy, with four impish children and Daddy at her side. In the lab she didn't have to chide Abby's lack of restraint or pretend to disapprove of Tony's hilarious impression of the senator who couldn't keep his hands off her at the latest political function. She didn't have to care if she looked tired or annoyed. Above all else, in Abby's lab she didn't have to keep the love out of her eyes when she looked at Jethro Gibbs.


	3. 1 Down

**A/N: So, I officially put these on out of order. But that just makes it more interesting, right? ****Please Review.**

**Disclaimer: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from the aforementioned work.**

**1-Down** Fro

His whole life, Jethro had been moving. To and fro, punching and shooting, interviewing and re-interviewing. He ran away to the Marines, on the way he found something he could slow down for, but it escaped him. He moved on, to NIS, from probie to agent, agent to team leader. Never stopping. In Paris, he found someone who could run with him, but in the end she eluded him too. He ran through marriages, raced through honeymoons. No time to think. He had a new team now, but it was the same old to and fro; never stopping to remember.


	4. 3 Down

**A/N: This was one harder to write, but I love their arguments too much to not do at least one.**

**Overly Wordy Disclaimer: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from the aforementioned work.**

**3-Down** Ace

"Would it kill you to not treat the media like something unpleasant you found on the bottom of your shoe, Agent Gibbs?"  
"Actually Jen, it might. You know how damn annoying those cameras are, not to mention all the questions. I work a lot better without annoying airheads peeking over my shoulder and you know it!" They had rehashed this argument countless times and to be honest, his treatment of the media that morning had been designed deliberately to force this confrontation, so he could play his latest ace: "You should relax, madam director, you're beginning to get frown lines."


	5. 4 Down

**Inspired by that scene when Jen pushes Gibbs up against the wall and the room practically crackles with sexual tension. **

**And I'm sorry if it's not quite up to par, have you any idea how challenging to write a drabble using the word 'geyser'?**

**Overly Wordy Disclaimer: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from the aforementioned work.**

**4-Down** Geyser

He's pretty sure he loves her most when she's angry, a veritable geyser of ire emanating from her every pore. He always loves her, but from his point of view she's at her best when she's fired up, hair tossing in defiance, heels clacking as an omen to those ahead, and eyes flashing with passion and rage. It's moments like this, when he's backed up against a wall and she's getting in his face, that he needs all his self-control to stop himself from taking her right then and there. He'll never tire of that geyser of ardor and fury.


	6. 5 Across

**Hey look. 100 more words! I hope you've all been counting and have realized they are **_**exactly**_** 100 words each. Reviews are welcomed with open arms. You may comment on how industrious I was today.**

**Poor Jenny, eh?**

**5-Across** Act

"Drop the director act". The comment stuck with her like a presidential aide. He thought she could just flip a switch and revert back to the carefree field agent she'd once been. But Paris had changed her. She didn't play the game; she lived it. Hell, she didn't pour a drink without thinking about what impact it could have on her agency. She could no longer go running in the rain on impulse, or drive at double the speed limit. She could no longer be in love with Jethro Gibbs. Jen wished with all her heart it was an act.


	7. 5 Down

**A/N: This one was a tad more challenging, but I wanted to make one completely dialogue. Also, this is set in an established Jibbs universe.**

**Overly Wordy Disclaimer: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from the aforementioned work.**

**5-Down **Ascot

"It's called an Ascot; stop fidgeting."  
"I don't care what it's called Jen; it makes me look like a pretentious ass!"  
"It's my ploy in case there are other red heads there."  
"But what if there's a red head with a thing for pretentious asses? We'd better not go, just in case."  
"Oh, we're going Jethro. And you'll be pleasant the entire time."  
"Or what? Desk duty for a month?"  
"No Jethro, or my tying that scarf on will be the last time you'll feel me anywhere near you for a week."  
"You wouldn't!"  
"3 hours Jethro, or seven days?"


	8. 6 Down

**A/N: I've reached the point that I wish crossword books used more normal words. Coos? Seriously? I hope this one ****is okay, 'cause it stumped me for a while there.**

**Disclaimer: In the writing and posting of this work I do not make any claims of ownership upon the NCIS television franchise, or any of its affiliates, nor do I stand to profit from the aforementioned work.**

**6-Down** Coos

Before he met Jenny, Jethro didn't truly know what it meant to 'coo'. It was merely a description used in the feminist trash Diane liked to read, an absurd name for a sound that didn't really exist. But there was no other way to describe the sing-song, throaty murmurs of adoration Jen would whisper in his ear. Her declarations of love were an undertone to every moment of their time together. Now, years later, her legs are wrapped around him again and if he concentrates he can almost make himself believe that it's just to see if she still coos.


	9. 7 Down

**I did it! Finally! It's kind of a companion drabble to 4-Down 'Geyser'. Thanks to ****elflordsmistress**** for the aid.**

**7-Down **Typhoon

She knows it's strange, but she loves him most when he's in one of his moods. He's like a typhoon, no warning before the howling winds and drenching rains. It's right then, when everyone else is hiding for fear of him, that she thinks he's at his best. She's not afraid, because she knows if she makes it through the wind and the rain she'll reach the eye of the storm. There it is calm, and all the more beautiful because she had to fight the tempest to reach it. Those typhoon-esque moments taught her the sweetness of blue skies.


	10. 8 Down

**A/N: I see this as being established Jibbs in the same universe as 5-Down 'Ascot'. I don't need to tell y'all when it's set. I know, it was really classic but, eh, I couldn't resist.**

**8-Down **Shave

"C'mon Jen" he whined. "I think it gives me a kind of ruggedly handsome look."  
"It makes you look like a homeless vagabond." She scrunched up her nose "an image which isn't exactly helped by your smell. How much beer did you drink in Mexico?"  
"More than you could handle."  
"Oh yeah? Do you remember –" she stopped and gave him an unimpressed look. "Don't get me off topic Jethro. It's going."  
"But it's soft. And it keeps my face warm."  
"Frankly Agent Gibbs, I don't give a damn. I'm not kissing you unless you shave that dead rat off."


	11. 8 Across

**A/N: Thanks to thefreedictionary . com for the definitions, because I was too lazy to fetch my OED. And my estimation for the number of steps could be totally off, I just guessed.**

**8-Across** Step

Step: the single complete movement of raising one foot and putting it down in another spot. Jethro knows these steps. He knows there are 76 between his desk and hers.  
Step: One of a series of rhythmical, patterned movements of the feet used in a dance. Jethro is okay with these steps. He knew them in Paris, the two of them danced in the rain.  
Step: One of a series of actions, processes, or measures taken to achieve a goal. Jethro needs to know which of these steps to take to get past her defenses and back into her heart.


	12. 9 Down

**A/N: Wow, this started out as fluff. I'm sorry it got so depressing; I think my inner writing psyche needs therapy. Please review, pretend I am Abby and your review is a Caff-Pow!**

**9-Down** Tile

Tile – the wall of the bathroom in their attic in Marseilles. He could still feel the cool stone under his palms as he pressed Jenny against it and lost himself in her completely. She renounced the tile and left. She returned, bringing reminiscences of tile. In memories and hope he began to find himself again. Now she is gone forever and tile has come back to mock him. Not real tile, but patterned linoleum marked out in squares barely visible below a layer of grime. Fake tile obscured by all too real blood. He is forever lost by that tile.


	13. 10 Down

**A/N: This was kind of worked out of the idea that when parents fight, the kids are dragged into the middle. I realize the drabbles haven't been very fluffy lately but angst is good too ****eh?**

**10-Down** Even

Tony whimpered in fear as he read.  
"Tony, what's the matter?" asked Ziva.  
"E-mail from Cynthia, the director just won."  
"Oh."  
"What's happening?" asked McGee.  
"Check the tally, McGoogle, Gibbs and the director are now even" explained Tony. McGee blanched "But that means –"  
"–tie-breaker" interrupted Ziva in a whisper. Tony picked up the phone and dialed.  
"Lab of Sciuto, how may I help you?"  
"Abbs, we're gonna need your help. They're even."  
"Alright Tony, give me five minutes."  
"What for?"  
"I've gotta pray." The kids all understood; when Mommy and Daddy were even, it was a serious thing.


	14. 11 Down

**A/N: I'm quite proud of this one. I love the give and take of the Jibbs relationship. Enjoy and Review!**

**11-Down **Pest

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was her personal pest, it seemed. From day one of her time as director she had been the subject of secretive glances and knowing grins. Nothing too obvious, just the slightest brush of her hand as he retrieved his coffee or standing a bit too close as they conferred on the catwalk. So she appreciated the slight widening of his eyes as she strode past him in the bullpen, heels ridiculously high, slacks broadcasting her figure, and neckline a centimeter above indecency. She needed to remind her top field agent that she could be a pest too.


	15. 12 Across

**A/N: Can I get an Awwww? Seriously, review me an awww. Because we all know that deep down, Gibbs is a softie. *Head Slap* "Sorry, Boss".****  
Thanks to everyone who has favourited, and story-alerted, and reviewed!**

**12-Across** Race

From the very start, their relationship had been a race. A race to catch the perpetrator first, or to spot their target first. Then came the race of who could get the other fired up quicker; who could hold out longer during days and nights in stuffy attics and rundown apartments. When they met up again they realized some things never change. Only now it was about who could get the other to admit their feelings first. He couldn't stand this silence any longer, so he headed up to the director's office to tell her she had won the race.


	16. 13 Across

**A/N: Soy? Seriously? I expect myself to write a drabble about Soy!?! I'm feeling very bitter towards my crossword puzzle right now.  
Thanks t****o Emeilia-Rose for the support!**

**13-Across** Soy

Director Jennifer Shepard walked into her office to find her top field agent, and recently re-instated lover, sitting at her desk staring at her lunch as he would a suspect in interrogation. He picked up the burger, of which he had obviously taken a bite, and glared at it.  
"It's a soy patty, Jethro" she explained, stealing his coffee from where it was making a mark on her desk. "It's healthy."  
"It's disgusting!" he threw the whole lunch into the trash, ignoring her protests. "C'mon, we're going to lunch." He strode out muttering "soy" as though she should know better.


	17. 14 Across

**A/N: ****This one stumped me for quite a while. Thanks Rachel ever so much for your succor, I'm pretty sure I would be a puddle on the floor without you.  
Also, can't you just imagine Gibbs doing this?  
Enjoy!**

**14-Across **Hive

"Allergies, Jethro? To what?" He looked up at her, blue eyes shining sincerely.  
"They weren't sure, but I know the answer." She motioned for him to continue. "It's the media."  
"Really? The media?" He nodded serenely.  
"Oh yes, Madam Director, it's the only logical explanation."  
"So the fact that you manhandled the reporter away –"  
"– manhandled is a bit of a strong word –"  
"– was the direct cause of this and your allergic reaction had nothing to do with the chocolate-peanut-butter-cup you stole from DiNozzo." She smiled; he _would_ be this audacious with his face covered in hives.


	18. 15 Across

**A/N: Gibbs is a naughty boy. ****Established Jibbs or not? Review and tell me what you think.**

**15-Across **Obey

She was using her 'I'm pissed off, obey me' director voice and frankly, it was pretty hot. She was wearing his favourite heels, the red ones, and if the peek he had snuck down her shirt was any indication, her lingerie was the same colour. He nodded absentmindedly at her orders, thinking more about coming up to see her after everyone else had left. Once outside, Fornell turned to him:  
"She just ordered you to hand your investigation over to me, and you didn't fight." Gibbs shrugged; when she was dressed like that it was worth his while to obey.


	19. 16 Across

**A/N: Thanks to Emeilia-Rose because this idea was spawned from one of her word drabbles. This drabble is dedicated to elflordsmistress for spurring me to do this and not accepting writer's block as an excuse. **

**Sorry this took so long; I've been at camp and will be for most of the summer. Review and tell me how annoyed you are with the long wait.**

**16-Across** Cop

It had been the kind of evening that rarely happened unless one was dating Jethro Gibbs and had been convinced to relive long gone stakeouts. But they had had a good laugh, because the cop who had caught them in a deserted parking lot was definitely expecting rowdy teenagers, not adults. The poor boy couldn't have been much more than twenty and his face had matched beautifully with the lights on his car when he realized who she was. She supposed his youth had made her life easier; he was very keen to not press charges – despite being a cop.


	20. 17 Across

**A/N: I struggled to make this one exactly 100 words. But I vanquished that evil entity known as the word count.**** Have you any idea how hard it is to use words like ales in a drabble?**

**This is set in Episode 4x13 Sharif Returns, or any episode with that whole Jenny/Jethro/Hollis **

**17-Across **Ales

Shannon was his first true love. She was his first glass of chardonnay, shot of tequila, taste of scotch. Ever since her, his wives and lovers had all been ales – diverse, abundant, and satisfying enough to drink, but never quite worth the pounding headaches. All, that is, except for Jenny. Jenny was without doubt bourbon; distinctively coloured, complex in every sense, and a taste so challenging, he was never quite sure whether or not he'd acquired it. Now, standing with Hollis and looking at Jen, he wonders why he traded in potent and difficult Bourbon for bland and simple ales.


	21. 18 Across

**A/N: Sorry I was gone so long. I just spent 4 weeks away from technology. **

**Please, Review.**

**18-Across **Slosh

The clink of decanter against glass alerts her to his presence; she doesn't move. Broken as he is, he is there to save her. Memory has told him of the beautiful princess locked in a tower of regret. He has braved the fierce dragon of her temper and climbed the turret of rejection and tension to get her back. He is as flawed inside as she, but he has come to bring light into her darkness, hoping she will do the same for him. Her knight in shining carhartts has arrived, heralded by the slosh of bourbon in a glass.


	22. 19 Down

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long folks, I'll try to update quicker. (Hint: reviews make me update faster)**

**19-Down **Length

The short, angry steps propelling the Director through the squad room speak of a fury that, due to human rights legislation, she can only take out on the carpet. By now, Gibbs can tell her mood just by hearing the clicking noises of her heels against the ground. The difference between the short jabbing steps of rage and the slightly longer steps of sexual frustration would be unnoticeable to anyone but him. Still, he pretends it's nothing but his normal attention to detail. He tells himself it means nothing that he knows her down to the length of her stride.


	23. 20 Across

**Thanks to all those who reviewed – see how well that works?  
Dedicated to: Aldus Manutius the Elder Our love for you will **_**never**_** fade; R.I.P.  
P.S. If you know who that is without looking it up, give yourself a mocha chocolate chip muffin.**

**20-Across **Vent

They stand in her office, nose to nose. They find release for their anger by venting their frustrations to each other at the top of their lungs. The intensity of their past relationship means not only that they need not be afraid of the vulnerability they show by giving in to their rage but also that they barely even need a spark to get them going at each other tooth and nail. She's glad he's given her a safe way to blow off steam; still she can't help missing Paris, she can never forget the way they used to vent.


	24. 21 Across

**Here y'all are. Remember: reviewing is my writing 'fast-forward' button.**

**21-Across **Street

NCIS Europe, Case 57329. The businessman adjusts his tie and checks his SIG before stepping out into the crisp night air. His feet clack against the cobblestones and his blue eyes covertly canvas the area. He sees his contact; fiery hair alit by the cheap lamp above her head. His breath catches in his throat when she turns around and she smiles openly. She comes onto him brazenly and his response is anything but timid. Out here they don't have to pretend they don't want each other and they both wish that they could forever stay on this deserted street.


	25. 21 Down

**A/N: "Smut" looks so like "smug"…And it's to say 'sorry' because I was away for so long. I probably won't be writing much this year but I decided to postpone two lab write ups to do this.**

**21-Down **Smug

She's still wearing her shoes, her hair is ostensibly up but mainly in her eyes and her hands are fisted in the sheets. Tumbling from her mouth is an endless string of curse words she would normally blush even thinking about. Those words jumble together until only two syllables are recognizable.  
"Jethro". She finally comes back to firm ground and she feels like a teenager again because she's still wearing most of her clothes. And when she looks over at the man lying next to her she almost has the presence of mind to hate that he looks so smug.


	26. 22 Down

**A/N: I know, I know, I'm a terrible person. I hope you will all forgive me for my lengthy absence (if you're pissed, send angry thoughts to my Chem Prof). I come bearing gifts of almost-fluff in an established-Jibbs universe (a girl can dream, eh?).**

**22-Down **Tore

Jennifer Shepard was a woman on a mission. Once she was satisfied that Jethro was fully asleep, she slipped out of bed and snuck downstairs. She knew that what she was looking for was somewhere in his house; she knew Jethro well enough to know he hadn't gotten rid of it. She finally found it stuffed in the back of a drawer in the basement, dog-eared and coffee-stained. Holding it in her hands, Jenny thanked every deity should could imagine that she had been granted a second chance. With that, she took a deep breath and tore up the letter.


	27. 23 Down

**A/N: You know, reviews might not be akin to coffee for me, but they are pretty darn close. And let's just say that I gave up coffee for Lent last year and I've already had about 5 friends plead with me to never do it again. So, REVIEW (or I'll give up posting for Lent).**

**For Rachella, you know damn well why.  
**

**23-Down** Runt

It was actually Pacci who first called her "Runt", making some wise-assed comment about how slim she was, but the head-slap that resounded through the bullpen was enough to keep him from ever doing it again. From then on, it was Gibbs' nickname for her; reserved for early mornings at their favourite coffee shop, or late at night when they were the last people left in the building. But tonight, when he slips into her office and sees that she is still working on her never-diminishing pile of paperwork; the last thing she expects to hear is  
"Go home, Runt".


	28. 24 Across

**A/N: See how this works? You review, I post. **

**On a completely unrelated note, I wrote an Ode to Long Johns the other day…**

**24-Across** Ode

Jethro squinted over her shoulder at the screen until Jenny handed over her glasses, stealing his coffee in return.  
"Huh" he said as he perused the screen "whaddya know? Our little girl can write".  
"That's all you have to say, Jethro?" He shrugged  
"what else is there?"  
"Maybe we should address the issue that apparently there's enough sexual tension between us to prompt Abby to write a poem entitled 'Ode to Mommy and Daddy'."  
"Yeah" he replied huskily, lips brushing her ear; "maybe". As she turned to face him, Jenny made a mental note to thank Abby for the Ode.


	29. 25 Down

**A/N: So after a few comments, I actually wrote Abby's "Ode" last night, and I'm working on an extended version of 24-Across to post as a one-shot (I'm going to write something longer than 100 words!)**

**Also I was listening to Backstreet Boys today (don't laugh, I like to occasionally relive the 90's) and I realized that any song can be Jibbs-y if you want it to be. So go listen to "How did I fall in love with you" and support my belief that it's secretly Jibbs.**

**Reviews are always appreciated…**

**25-Down** Dodges

He dodges bullets; every day he faces the fact that today, he might be too slow.  
He dodges reporters; they don't respect Rule 23.  
He dodges niceties; that's the director's job, not his.  
He dodges her anger; he goes out for coffee because pissed Jen means passionate Jenny and his body still remembers passionate Jenny.  
He dodges his feelings; he knows all too well how much rejection hurts.  
He dodges the rules, regulations, and his common sense; he walks into her study and pulls her to him, giving her a bruising kiss because tomorrow, he might not dodge the bullet.


	30. 26 Across

**A/N: For this I used my Word definition of Mourn: "**_**transitive and intransitive verb**_** to feel and show sadness because somebody has died". I tried to deal with the popular image society has of mourning: crying, funerals, black clothes, etc. And I also tried (you can review and tell me whether or not I succeeded) at showing Gibbs' strength in his reaction to both Jenny's death and that image of mourning.**

**This one was challenging (I kind of avoided writing it for a while) so please give me an honest opinion of what you think of it. **

**Thanks to ****ellie**** for the encouragement while I was actively avoiding this. You're right, it was kind of cathartic.**

**26-Across **Mourn

Mourning means showing sadness that someone is dead. It means wearing black and crying, it does nothing to express the anguish of seeing her blood on his hands. It's a stand in word for a feeling that is inexpressible, a feeling he has known too many times in his life. If mourning means to _show_ sadness, he won't mourn her death. He'll sit here, getting blind drunk from cheap bourbon, trying not to remember the way her eyes shone when she was pissed or how she would bite down on his shoulder as she came. But he will not mourn.


	31. 27 Across

A/N: I didn't actually use the word 'Boo', I know, but Jenny's quote just worked so much better.

For those of you who don't know, Lady Rawhide is "a scantily clad masked vigilante" from the Zorro universe. Very scantily clad. And a redhead.

Also, for those of you who watched "Jet Lag", Gibbs was pretty quick to nay-say Holly Snow's role play suggestion…methinks the boss-man doth protest too much…

Established Jibbs, on Halloween (think of it as a _really_ late 'Treat'). I've been posting quite a bit lately, could that be causally linked to the number of reviews I've been getting? Maybe?

**27-Across **Boo

In all his Halloweens, Gibbs had never seen anything as unexpected, or arousing, as this. Jennifer Shepard, thigh high red boots encasing her long legs, tight red and white bodice emphasizing her tiny waist, strips of red fabric barely covering her breasts, red and white gloves covering her arms, white mask tied over the upper half of her face, and tousled red hair flowing down her back. Obviously she remembered him telling her in Paris that Lady Rawhide was the hottest comic book character. Ever. She smiled at his obvious shock,  
"Good to see I can still surprise you, Jethro."


	32. 27 Down

**For Aldus Pius Manutius  
Our love for will **_**never**_** fade; rest in peace.**

**27-Down **Bay

Her head's been pushing her heart aside for years now. The three words "five point plan" managed to keep three other words, words she hasn't heard since Paris, out of her life entirely. But every lingering glance across the bullpen, every casual brush of fingers as they exchange coffee, glasses, and files, seems to create an undertow that threatens to pull her out into a raging river of uncertainty. She's afraid of what's out there, afraid of losing that for which she gave up everything. But the way he's kissing her, makes it impossible to keep her feelings at bay.


	33. 28 Across

**A/N: The 'Choo' of whom I speak is Jimmy Choo, friend to women around the globe. **

**I don't believe Gibbs ever said 'I love you' in Paris, and I also believe that he was much more expressive when Shannon was still alive, which is why she is not really considered in this piece.**

**Set in Paris…or Marseille…Serbia…Positano…anywhere else on the 'Jibbs sex tour of Europe'…**

**And this was heavily influenced by:**

**Kate:** You know I bet this is why number two came after you with a nine iron, isn't it? You just refused to sit down and talk things through.

**Gibbs:** Actually that wasn't it at all.

**Kate:** So what was it, then?

**Gibbs:** Seven iron.

**From Eye Spy 1x11**

**28-Across **Gab

He was used to women talking. Diatribes about his inadequacies and extensive monologues about some 'Choo' guy, a remarkably close acquaintance of every woman he's ever known. And so, he expected Jenny to be the same. He didn't expect her to relish silence like he did. He never thought she would be perfectly content to express herself with kisses and touches instead of verbs and nouns, to understand that the hand stroking her hair meant so much more than he could ever articulate. She was the first woman to get the fact that his actions removed the need for gab.


	34. 28 Down

**A/N: Established Jibbs and a fluffy Gibbs.**

**Reviews, reviews, my writing for reviews! (Shakespeare would have wanted reviews too…)**

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

**28-Down **Glad

With Shannon, he had a happy life. She gave him Kelly; brought true joy into his life. The pain of losing them shattered him. Since then, nothing has compared to what he had. Early in his marriages he had contentment, in Paris he was so close to succumbing to happiness again. But nothing lasted, and at each turn he was drawn deeper into misery. He never thought that he could let go of the anguish that has ruled his life for so long. But lying here with Jen in his arms, he can honestly say that he's, finally, glad again.


	35. 29 Down

**A/N: Sorry this one took me so long. I have a 2, 000 word paper due Monday, and two more (one 1, 600 words and one 4, 000words), due the week after.**

**Enjoy. Please Review ('Cause I think I'm gonna go crazy)**

**29-Down** Aide

Before coming to work at NCIS, Cynthia learned how to effectively manage a director's time. Not the best way to clear the director's schedule because she had decided to spend her day looking over a certain silver-haired agent's shoulder.  
She had taken the seminar titled "effectual distribution of your boss's attention" not "how to politely get your boss's attention back from the retreating form of a _very_ special agent".  
She had never been taught how to explain away daily shouting matches, or how to fix door hinges.  
Cynthia felt that she was really abysmally prepared to be Director Sheppard's aide.


	36. 30 Down

**A/N: So I've started to cross-stitch all of Gibbs' rules onto bookmarks (I know, I'm extremely cool).**

**I think this sucker's set during his margarita safari. I know it's not obviously Jibbs, but squint at it for a while.**

**Eh, Review.**

**30-Down **Beer

Beer was a fascinating thing. Abby could tell him how his drink had been made, the barley fermented and the hops added for flavour. Ziva could kill him in a hundred different ways with this drink, and Ducky could bore him to death with associated tales of bygone days. McGee could write it into his next novel, Tony could chug it down with the best of them. But Gibbs didn't care where it came from, or what it could be. He cared only for its purchase propelling him to ignorance. For if ignorance was bliss, bliss was a cold beer.


	37. 31 Across

**A/N: Wow! I have been away for forever! I sincerely apologize for that, I was writing deathly exams and homework gives me writers block. But I'm done now, so no worries.**

**Review, tell me how glad you are I'm back, how pissed you are that it took so long, etc. Really, at this point I think I would be overjoyed over a "=D". **

**31-Across **Urn

There was something about getting coffee that went beyond the mere acquisition of scalding, caffeinated liquid. A placating sense of normalcy he felt each time he entered his regular coffee shop. The people there changed, but the essence of the place stayed the same. The same counters and chairs and tables, the same large pots of coffee lined up against the far wall. Today, however, she was there. Fiery hair and flashing eyes, she had found his haven. She made his refuge different; more exciting, and yet more enticing. Somehow she fit perfectly there, against the backdrop of mundane urns.


End file.
